Stranger Things Season 3 Teaser Takes Us to the Mall

A cryptic new teaser for the Netflix series, which was first shared on the show's official Twitter account, can best be described as a very enthusiastic, if not tongue-in-cheek mall advertisement.

The clip begins by characterizing Hawkins as "a growing patriotic community and a shining example of the American dream" (it doesn't mention the fact that it's home to laboratories that experiment on kids, or the whole Upside Down thing — go figure). The ad then goes on to introduce the Starcourt Mall, which itself is a shining example of 1980s mall culture.

Stores in the massive shopping center include some oldies but goodies, including The Gap, Claire's, Waldenbooks, and Sam Goody — complete with vintage logos. There's also a "state-of-the-art food court," where fan-favorite Steve Harrington (the ad's only familiar face) appears to have a new gig slinging ice cream at a spot called Scoops Ahoy. Even under that uniform hat, his hair looks amazing. The ad even features a couple of teens making out by the mall fountain. Ah, nostalgia.

While the spot doesn't seem to have apparent spoilers about the more supernatural goings-on in Hawkins, Variety points out that there are a few things worth noting in the clip. The outlet speculates that the reference to mall developer Starcourt Industries may be a reference to another "corporate menace" coming to town (à la Hawkins National Laboratory), and that the promise that the mall is "coming next summer" may be a hint about when fans can expect season 3 to hit screens. Based on the book The Hunt for Red October in the window of Waldenbooks and a Bruce Springsteen album on display at Sam Goody, Variety suspects that the timeline for season 3 will likely be around 1984.

The real question remains, though: Will we be getting a Stranger Things mallpisode, or what?